Magazine insert

ABSTRACT

A magazine insert may include a housing having an opening. A follower may be mounted in the housing for pivot action relative to the housing, with the follower being exposed through the opening in the housing. A biasing member may be provided in the housing to influence the follower toward the opening. When installed in the well of a firearm, the magazine insert may prevent contaminants from entering the firearm, and may provide an active retention feature by which a bolt carrier group can be retained in a retracted position without having to manually actuate a bolt catch.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Non-limiting embodiments relate in general to accessories for firearms, and more particularly, to a magazine well insert that may prevent contaminants (e.g., dirt, sand, water, etc.) from entering into the magazine well of a firearm, and may also provide for enhanced clearing procedures.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Many repeating firearms utilize magazines for storing and feeding cartridges (or rounds) in a well-known manner. When inserted into the magazine well, the magazine may exclude dirt, sand, and other contaminants from entering internal mechanisms and causing damage or failure of the firearm to operate properly. When the magazine is not in place, however, the magazine well is open and the interior parts of the firearm may be exposed to contamination from the environment.

While an installed magazine may protect internal parts of the firearm from damage, it is often desired and/or required to keep the firearm in an unloaded condition. For example, personnel that carry firearms (e.g., military personnel, law enforcement personnel, etc.) may be subject to numerous operational protocols and other regulations that prohibit the carrying of a loaded firearm in particular areas or zones. Accordingly, the personnel may not be able to engage a magazine to a firearm, even if the magazine is empty.

In an effort to avoid contamination problems associated with an unloaded firearm (i.e., one without a magazine), inserts have been designed for installation in the magazine well. Such inserts can be installed in the magazine well, instead of a standard magazine designed for storing cartridges.

One conventional insert is in the form of a plug that is fabricated from compressible material. The plug is dimensioned larger than the interior of the magazine well. Accordingly, the plug is compressed upon installation, thereby creating an interference fit between the plug and the magazine well.

Another conventional insert includes a housing that receives a reversible top cover in two different configurations. In a first configuration, a flat top of the cover is exposed, which allows the bolt carrier group to move back and forth within the bolt chamber. In a second configuration, a stop of the cover is exposed, which locks the bolt carrier group in a retracted (non-firing) position.

Although conventional inserts are generally thought to provide acceptable performance, they are not without shortcomings. For example, when a conventional insert is installed, the operator may be able to move the bolt back and forth within the bolt chamber. To carry out a clearing procedure, the operator may move the bolt to a retracted position and retain it there so that the chamber areas of the rifle can be inspected for cartridges. According to conventional wisdom, however, the operator is required to manually actuate the bolt catch of the firearm to retain the bolt in the retracted position. In this regard, conventional inserts do not offer any active retention feature by which the bolt carrier group could be retained in the retracted position without having to manually actuate the bolt catch.

SUMMARY

According to a non-limiting embodiment, a magazine insert for a firearm may include a housing having an opening. A follower may be mounted in the housing for pivot action relative to the housing. The follower may be exposed through the opening in the housing. A biasing member may be provided in the housing to influence the follower toward the opening.

According to another non-limiting embodiment, a combination may include a firearm with a magazine well. A magazine insert may be installed in the magazine well. The magazine insert may include a housing having an opening. A follower may be mounted in the housing for pivot action relative to the housing. The follower may be exposed through the opening in the housing. A biasing member may be provided in the housing to influence the follower toward the opening.

The above and other features, including various and novel details of construction and combinations of parts will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the details of the example embodiments are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in varied and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting embodiments will become more fully understood from the detailed description below and the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference numerals, which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limiting of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a top, front, and right side perspective view of a magazine insert according to a non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top, rear, and left side perspective view of the magazine insert depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the magazine insert depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the magazine insert depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the housing depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the pivot action of the follower depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the magazine insert installed in a firearm.

DESCRIPTION OF NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS

This disclosure is directed to a magazine insert that may be used by military personnel for installation in a rifle, such as an AR-15. But the invention is not limited in this regard. It will be appreciated that the magazine insert can be used by other personnel for installation in numerous and varied firearms.

Throughout this disclosure, terms relating to spatial directions (e.g., upper, top, lower, bottom, front, forward, rear, rearward, etc.) are used for convenience in describing features or portions thereof, as shown in the figures. These terms do not, however, require that the magazine insert be maintained in any particular orientation.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the magazine insert 2 includes a housing 4 having a shape that may generally correspond to the shape of the magazine well of an AR-15. For example, the housing 4 has a front wall 6 and a rear wall 8. The upper end of the front wall 6 has a recess 7 that may facilitate viewing of the firing chamber when the magazine insert 2 is installed. The rear wall 8 includes an elongate alignment rib 10 that is adapted for insertion into an alignment groove formed at the rear end of the magazine well. The upper end of the rear wall 8 has a recess 9 that provides a passage for the bolt of the AR-15 when the magazine insert 2 is installed. A side wall of the housing 4 includes a locking recess 12 for receiving a magazine catch on the lower receiver of the AR-15 for locking the magazine insert 2 to the well.

The housing 4 has a closed lower end 14 with a loop 16. The loop 16 can be used to carry and/or secure the magazine insert 2 when un-installed. A seal 20 is mounted on the housing 4 above the lower end 14. The seal 20 may be a loop of compressible material that extends all the way around the perimeter of the housing 4. With reference to FIG. 4, the seal 20 may be seated in a groove 15 provided in the housing 4. The seal 20 can be removed from the housing 4 to facilitate cleaning of parts.

The groove 15 is at least partially defined by an upward facing surface 17 of the lower end 14. The seal 20 protrudes laterally outward from the walls of the housing 4. Thus, when the magazine insert 2 is installed, the seal 20 is elastically deformed and compressed between the upper surface 17 of the housing 4 and the lower opening of the magazine well, which seals the interface between the parts and prevents contaminants (e.g., solids and liquids) from entering into the magazine well. The seal 20 can be color coded to visually indicate to others that the rifle is clean and safe. By way of example only, the seal 20 may be safety orange in color.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 4 has an upper end with an opening 25 through which a follower 50 is exposed. The follower 50 includes a platform 51. The upper surface of the platform 51 is provided with a projection 56 that may be shaped to resemble a portion of a cartridge. In this regard, the projection 56 may be referred to as a “superficial round.” As shown, the superficial round 56 may include a longitudinal groove to allow passage of the bolt of the AR-15, as will be discussed in more detail below. One or more ribs 57 may extend between the superficial round 56 and the platform 51. The platform 51 also includes a tab 58 that is exposed through the recess 9 of the rear wall 8 (see FIG. 2). The tab 58 may interact with the bolt catch of the AR-15, as will be discussed in more detail below.

The follower 50 is mounted for limited pivot action relative to the housing 4. The mounting of the follower 50 will be appreciated with reference to FIG. 4. As shown, the bottom side of the platform 51 has a forward projection 52 with a through hole 53, and a rearward projection 54 with a through hole 55. The through holes 53, 55 receive respective pins 18, 19 that are press fit to the side walls of the housing 14. In FIG. 4, the pins 18, 19 are withdrawn from the interior of the housing 4.

The forward through hole 53 is shaped to receive the pin 18, such that the follower 50 can pivot about the pin 18 and relative to the housing 4. Thus, the forward pin 18 serves as a pivot point that is fixed to the housing 4 and about which the follower 50 turns. The follower's axis of rotation is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pin 18. In this example, the through hole 53 and the pin 18 are both circular in shape, with the through hole 53 having a slightly larger inner diameter than the outer diameter of the pin 18. But the invention is not limited in this regard.

The rearward through hole 55 is in the form of a slot that extends along a curved path. The rearward through hole 55 and the pin 19 cooperate to limit the pivot action of the follower 50 relative to the housing 4.

A coil spring 60 is captured between the follower 50 and the housing 4. For example, and turning briefly to FIG. 5, the lower end of the spring 60 may be mounted on projections 5 that extend into the interior of the housing 4. Turning back to FIG. 4, the rearward projection 54 of the follower 50 may be inserted through the uppermost coil of the spring 60. The follower 50 can then be inserted into the housing 4 (and against the influence of the spring 60) to a depth that allows the pins 18, 19 to be inserted through the respective holes 53, 54 and press fitted to the housing 4. The spring 60 is a compression coil spring that resists being compressed. In this example embodiment, the coils of the spring are of varied size (i.e., increasing in size from the upper coil to the lower coil). The invention is not, however, limited in this regard. For example, the coils of the spring may be of a uniform size. Also, the number of coils may be varied.

The limited pivot action of the follower 50 about the pin 18 will be appreciated with reference to FIG. 6. The follower 50 is influenced by the spring 60 (not shown), such that the platform 51 moves away from the pin 19 until the pin 19 is located at the bottom end of the through hole 55. In this position, the follower 50 is located toward the opening 25 in the housing 4 (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2).

The application of sufficient force F will drive the follower 50 to pivot about the pin 18 (clockwise in FIG. 6), and against the influence of the spring 60. During the pivot motion of the follower 50, the pin 19 slides through the hole 55 in the rearward projection 54, until the pin 19 reaches the upper end of the hole 55, as shown in broken lines. In the broken line position shown in FIG. 6, at least the rear end portion of the follower 50 is located away from the opening 25 in the housing 4. When the force F is removed, the spring 60 drives the follower 50 to rotate about the pin 18 (counter clockwise in FIG. 6) until the pin 19 is located at the bottom end of the through hole 55.

The follower 50 can be color coded to visually indicate to others that the rifle is clean and safe. By way of example only, the follower 50 could be safety orange in color.

The components of the magazine insert can be fabricated from numerous and varied materials that are well known in this art. By way of example only, the housing 4 and the follower 50 can be fabricated from plastics, metals, and other materials that are well known in this art. By way of example only, the seal 20 can be fabricated from rubbers, polymers, elastomers, foams, and other materials that are well known in this art.

The use of the magazine insert 2 is straightforward. The magazine insert 2 may replace the standard magazine once the AR-15 has deemed cleared by the operator. For example, the rifle may be unloaded and the bolt may be in a forward position.

The magazine insert 2 can be installed in the well in the same fashion as the standard magazine. During insertion, the rifle's bolt catch (a portion of which extends into the well) enters the opening 25 and passes down through the recess 9 in the rear wall 8 of the housing 4 until the bolt catch engages with the tab 58 of the follower 50. Upon continued insertion, the bolt catch drives the follower 50 to pivot downward (against the influence of the spring 60) and into the housing 4.

Insertion continues until the rifle's magazine catch engages the locking recess 12 on the housing 4. At this time, the seal 20 is compressed between the upper surface 17 of the housing 4 and the lower opening of the magazine well, which seals the interface between the parts and prevents contaminants (e.g., solids and liquids) from entering into the well of the AR-15. With the magazine insert 2 properly seated and the ejection port cover closed, the internal components of the rifle are protected from environmental contaminants.

The magazine insert 2 may provide an active retention feature that facilitates visual inspection of the rifle's chamber areas. For example, the operator may visually inspect the chamber areas by pulling back the charging handle (and thus the bolt carrier group). The bolt carrier group travels rearward across the tops of the superficial round 56 and the bolt catch. Eventually, the charging handle pulls the bolt carrier group back to a point where the bolt is behind the follower 50 and the bolt catch. At this time, the spring 60 urges the follower 50 to pivot about the pin 18 in an upward direction, i.e., toward the bolt chamber. The upward pivot action of the follower 50 actuates the bolt catch. That is, as the follower 50 pivots upward, the tab 58 of the follower 50 drives the bolt catch upward and into the travel path of the bolt, thereby preventing the return travel of the bolt carrier group in the forward direction. The interaction between the follower and the bolt catch is somewhat similar to the conventional bolt-hold-open-feature provided by an empty standard magazine. Thus, the bolt carrier group can be retained in the retracted position without the operator having to manually actuate the rifle's bolt catch.

FIG. 7 illustrates an AR-15 100 with the ejection port cover in an opened condition so that the operator can visually inspect the chamber areas. As shown, the bolt 102 is retained in the retracted position by the bolt catch 104, which has been actuated by the upward pivot action of the follower 50. As noted above, the follower 50 may be safety orange or some other bright color to serve as a safety indication and/or reflect ambient light to illuminate surrounding chamber areas.

Once the chamber areas have been inspected, the bolt catch release lever can be depressed, which drives the bolt catch 104 downward, which in turn pivots the follower 50 against the influence of the spring 60. In this condition, the bolt carrier group can be driven forward by the rifle's recoil spring. Thus, the bolt can be sent forward on an empty chamber. As the bolt carrier group travels forward, a lug on the bolt may pass through the longitudinal groove provided in the top surface of the superficial round 56.

The magazine insert 2 can be removed from the rifle in the same fashion as a standard magazine. The magazine insert 2 can be released by pressing the magazine release button 106. At this time, the seal 20 may return to its original shape, thereby pushing the magazine insert 2 out of the well, which facilitates ejection of the magazine insert from the rifle.

The magazine insert 2 cannot be loaded with cartridges (or rounds). This is attributable to the fixed pivot pin 18, and the limited pivot action of the follower 50. For example, the follower 50 does not pivot a sufficient amount to allow a cartridge to be inserted into the housing 4. The ribs 57 on the follower 50 also block the insertion of cartridges through the opening 25 of the housing 4. Thus, the magazine insert 2 cannot be weaponized.

Although the foregoing description is directed to the preferred embodiments of the present teachings, it is noted that other variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and which may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present teachings. For example, it will be appreciated that the magazine insert can be implemented for installation in the magazine well of any firearm.

The foregoing detailed description of the various embodiments of the present teachings has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present teachings to the precise embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present teachings and their practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the present teachings for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the present teachings be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A magazine insert for a firearm, the magazine insert comprising: a housing having an opening; a follower mounted in the housing for pivot action relative to the housing, the follower being exposed through the opening in the housing; and a biasing member provided in the housing and influencing the follower toward the opening.
 2. The magazine insert according to claim 1, further comprising: a first pin fixed to the housing and extending through a first hole provided in the follower, such that the pivot action of the follower is about the first pin; and a second pin fixed to the housing and extending through a second hole provided in the follower, such that the pivot action of the follower is limited by the second pin.
 3. The magazine insert according to claim 2, wherein the first hole of the follower has a circular shape; and wherein the second hole of the follower is in the form of a slot that extends along a curved path.
 4. The magazine insert according to claim 2, wherein the first and the second pins are press fitted to the housing.
 5. The magazine insert according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is a spring.
 6. The magazine insert according to claim 5, wherein the spring is a coil spring.
 7. The magazine insert according to claim 6, wherein the coil spring is captured between the housing and the follower.
 8. The magazine insert according to claim 1, wherein the follower comprises: a platform; a projection extending from the platform in a first direction and through the opening; and a tab extending from the platform in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.
 9. The magazine insert according to claim 8, wherein the tab is exposed in the first direction through the opening; and wherein the tab is exposed in the second direction through a recess provided in a wall of the housing.
 10. A combination comprising: a firearm with a magazine well; and a magazine insert installed in the magazine well, the magazine insert including a housing having an opening; a follower mounted in the housing for pivot action relative to the housing, the follower being exposed through the opening in the housing; and a biasing member provided in the housing and influencing the follower toward the opening.
 11. The combination according to claim 10, further comprising: a first pin fixed to the housing and extending through a first hole provided in the follower, such that the pivot action of the follower is about the first pin; and a second pin fixed to the housing and extending through a second hole provided in the follower, such that the pivot action of the follower is limited by the second pin.
 12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the first hole of the follower has a circular shape; and wherein the second hole of the follower is in the form of a slot that extends along a curved path.
 13. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the first and the second pins are press fitted to the housing.
 14. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the biasing member is a spring.
 15. The combination according to claim 14, wherein the spring is a coil spring.
 16. The combination according to claim 15, wherein the coil spring is captured between the housing and the follower.
 17. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the follower comprises: a platform; a projection extending from the platform in a first direction and through the opening; and a tab extending from the platform in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.
 18. The combination according to claim 17, wherein the tab is exposed in the first direction through the opening; and wherein the tab is exposed in the second direction through a recess provided in a wall of the housing.
 19. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the follower engages with a bolt catch of the firearm. 